Final info about 16-19 year olds

Primary Observation

I tried to talk to the manager and staff but they just said you have to talk to head office. Obviously head office won’t reveal anything about their consumers. But the manager knew about Spicer, which was interesting. Okay the info.

Based on primary observation we have found that the main visitors of Athlete’s World consist of ethnic minorities and urban trendsetters. They range from Indian to Chinese and generally wear hip hop clothing. The staff also appeared to consist of minority as well. The age range appears to be people either in the final years of high school or fresh university students. Like Graeme said between 16-19. Guys , Girls and guys with their girlfriends.

Freaks, Geeks and Cool Kids.

The author of Freaks, Geeks and Cool Kids tries to shed light on youth by analyzing fashion motives. As one student insisted, cool clothing helps one become popular, and possibly enter the dating sphere. Another student noted that if a high school student is not an athlete then the next best thing is clothes and looks. Fashion is both dynamic and competitive. The problem with conforming in a high school is that normality is in constant flux.

Once a high school student is defined, then their identity becomes more flexible. Perhaps Athlete’s World caters to those who are in the process of molding their identity. We could make our store the place for trendsetters who are molding their identities. Perhaps Athlete’s World stands out for our consumers because it is not the big Sports Check or Foot Locker most people go to in a mall.

There is a strange notion that once a high school student reaches popularity then he or she could dress sloppy. Athlete’s World attracts a lot of people who are attempting to become popular and seek constant acknowledgement from their peers. Class and ethnicity also impact conformity. Minority groups it would seem are more prone to changing their fashion habits frequently than others.

Sports uniforms or quasi – uniforms are very important to certain high school students as they verify allegiance. To high school students, speech and language play an important part in authentic association. Each generation has its own vocabulary. As each group ages there is an attempt to make copying a difficult task. Slang words are now constantly replaced with each age group. If our target group is between the age of 16-19, then we should primarily focus on 19 year olds. This is the final age group that is fully immersed in seeking an identity before the shift to adult hood (Milner, Murray JR. Freaks, Geeks, and Cool Kids: American Teenagers, Schools, and the Culture of Consumption. New York: Routledge, 2004. 46 – 49). In fact the author of What Kids Buy and Why states that if a company wants to target an age group between the ages of 16-19 then they should consider them as almost adults. Both physically and mentally, the ages between 16-19 mark the path to “almost adult.” Lifestyle and perceptions come into drastic change for this group and this has to be taken into consideration. It is recognized that by this age group focuses specifically on the future, relationships, identity issues as well as mobility or forms of transportation. By this age they start to read more cultured magazines such as Rolling Stones as well as abstract humor. Many of them will leave these habits behind due to the nature of their evolution. Due to the development of the final development of the frontal lobe, 16+ individuals garner cognitive skills that allow better judgment. Thinking logically and being able to self-reflect become easier. Having said that the maturing of the prefrontal lobe is not always a given. Being deprived of emotional bonding, trauma or drug usage can stop the growth of the prefrontal lobe. If the prefrontal lobe does not grow properly between this age then there is nothing that can be done to aid it. Interestingly enough 16-19 marks a point where ideally the person does not care a bout acceptance as much as he or she used to. Ideally late adolescence marks a point where one starts to focus internally for acceptance. The concepts this age group looks for is innovation, controversy, edgy or even taboo like subjects (Acuff, Dan S. What Kids Buy and Why. New York: The Free Press, 1997. 124 – 133).